


Securing Insecurities: Side Stories

by jlbassmaster (Airwing)



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:03:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1837021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airwing/pseuds/jlbassmaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a short collection of side stories that were originally going to bridge the time between Securing Insecurities and its currently unfinished and unpublished sequel, The Seraphic War. They take place at random times throughout that time period (about three years if I recall).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming Out

**Author's Note:**

> _Author's Notes: These were originally going to be beta-ed and posted along with The Seraphic War but since that story may never see the light of day, I figured I may as well post these. They have not been beta-ed so they may have some inconstancies, errors, etc, but oh well :p As this is an incomplete project, I will also include the original author's notes here:_
> 
>  
> 
> _Side Stories is a collection of random short stories detailing small events that take place between the end of Securing Insecurities and the beginning of The Seraphic War. These are for insight into the events occurring over those three years so that you can see the development of Hope and Snow’s relationship and the development of their lives in the new world._
> 
>  
> 
> _Why didn’t I include these in The Seraphic War? For pacing purposes and lack of proper placement. That means that it would slow down the story referencing old events that are not crucial to the plot, but can be fun to read on the side if you choose to. Also, there just is not appropriate places to insert some of these stories because flashbacks are often very unnecessary in storytelling, and there just isn’t always a place to say “Hey, this is a good spot to stick in a background story!” These also are not appropriate for their own separate stories as they are not long enough nor multi-chaptered._
> 
>  
> 
> _These stories are not vital to The Seraphic War but are a supplement if you have any interest in the three years between the stories. Everything vital to the plot is already in The Seraphic War and these stories are not referenced in such a way that you would need to read them to understand the plot, unlike the Datalog entries of Final Fantasy XIII where reading them was almost vital to fully understanding parts of the main story._
> 
>  
> 
> _I hope you enjoy these tales that showcase various little events in those three years._  
> 

Hope was excited and nervous about inviting Snow over to his home for the first time since the fall of Cocoon from the sky. Cocoon was in a state of disarray – the government having lost its Primarch, the damage caused by the fall, the side effects of the deaths of the Cocoon fal’Cie, and the propositions that Gran Pulse be inhabited with the l’Cie threat gone. Power sources were disrupted in many areas, including Palumpolum. 

Being one of the largest cities, and the city of commerce, Palumpolum was first on the list to have power restored. In the meantime, citizens resorted to battery power and fire for light and cooking. There were rumors that ideas for new power sources included water power, steam power, and even the use of coal from the mines to fuel fire powered engines. The primary concern was being able to power the cities without causing too much pollution or running out of resources, as well as not being able to produce enough to power all of the cities that needed it. All of that considered, it could be anywhere from a month to two or three depending on what was decided on. Cocoon’s people had a long journey ahead of them for recovery.

*****

Snow was staying at his home in Bodhum, feeling slightly depressed as he was tasked with the responsibility of handling Serah’s belongings. He still cared about her, and definitely did not want her to be stuck in that giant crystal pillar forever. 

Lightning agreed to take possession of Serah’s things – she still had her bedroom that she could store it all in. Neither of them wanted to get rid of anything in hopes that someday Serah and the others would break out of stasis and return to having normal lives. Then again, Vanille and Fang hadn’t had a normal life in five hundred years; their lives would never again be considered ‘normal’ compared to what they had before. 

Hope had asked Snow if he could move in with him since he and his father still had a strained relationship and it was a little tense to be back in the house with him. Snow agreed to it, but under two conditions. One was that he wait until Serah’s things were put away with Lightning, and two was that his father approved and gave permission. He insisted he had no intention of disrupting or causing more strife for his family, and secretly thought Hope should really try and work on his relationship with his dad, but ultimately that part was not his decision to make. 

Hope, on the other hand, was quite anxious to leave his father’s home. Everywhere he looked he saw memories of his mother. The kitchen reminded him of the delicious meals she cooked for them. The bathroom décor reminded him of how excited she was to find something that suited her son’s tastes. There were pictures of the her everywhere – family portraits, vacation pictures with Hope and his father, candids. Even his bedroom reminded him of her – his collection of boomerangs brought to memory all of the competitions his mother came to watch, and how happy she was when he won, and how encouraging she was when he lost, and either way she would take him to get ice cream. Even at age fourteen it was something they still did together. The thing was, his dad was never there. On vacations he was often sidetracked with work whether it be paperwork or comm link calls. He never went with them for day trips, and surely never showed up for his competitions. It was always about work. Even about half the time he didn’t even get home in time for dinner. It was his father’s absence that he had a strained relationship with him and no real desire to be around him. It just made him angry anytime he thought about all of the things he had missed out on with his family when he should have been setting aside time for his wife and son. As far as he was concerned, he was just a burden on his dad, and had no fantasies that things would change without his mother around, except he would be cooking his own meals and eating by himself. At least he still had Snow to do things with, but that was another issue entirely.

Mr. Estheim had never paid much attention to the fact that his son never had a girlfriend. For all he knew, Hope was either a loner or a slut. Either way he had no idea. The truth of the matter was that he had been a virgin up until the night Snow made love to him. That was something Mr. Estheim never needed to know about. He would claim rape as well as other things and have Snow thrown in prison most likely. It was that very reason that Hope was incredibly nervous about telling his father about their relationship and his desire to move in with Snow, a man seven years older than himself. 

“Hey dad? I want to invite a friend over, is that okay?” Hope asked his father, who was hunched over a stack of papers, reading by candlelight.

“Sure, son. Just don’t make a lot of noise or a mess of anything,” came his answer, which almost seemed canned it was so emotionless.

“I kind of wanted you to meet him though,” Hope replied. “He’s a real close friend of mine.”

“Okay, just let me know when he gets here so I can meet him,” his father said, still reading. Hope seemed a little disappointed at his father’s indifference to his request. He started to walk away when his dad stopped him. “Hey, whatever happened to your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend? You mean Christie?” Hope replied.

“The one with the brown hair and was taller than you,” his dad said.

“Yes dad, that’s Christie. She moved to Eden last year, remember? “

“Oh. I guess I forgot,” his dad commented.

“Yeah, I guess so. And she’s never been my girlfriend. Nobody has a girlfriend at thirteen anyway.” His dad didn’t say anything else – the failed attempt at a conversation having come to an end. Hope went to his room, sat on the bed and sighed.

“So much for that. I wonder if he will even remember he met Snow once before. I’d be surprised,” Hope said to himself. He rolled his eyes and then picked up the comm link from the night stand next to his bed. He quick-dialed Snow’s number and told him it was okay to go ahead and come on over. 

*****

Snow arrived at the Estheim residence around late afternoon. Hope was waiting for him, sitting under the tree out front, reading a novel on his digital reader. At first he was unaware of his arrival, fully engrossed in the mystery he was reading. Apparently someone had just been murdered and the detective was beginning his investigation. Snow crept up behind him and covered his eyes with his hands.

“Guess who,” Snow teased, disguising his voice. Hope laughed.

“Some hobo from the Vile Peaks?” he replied. Snow pretended to be offended and took his hands away, coming round front and helping Hope to his feet. 

“Very funny. What are you reading?”

“Death on the Waterscape,” Hope answered. “It’s a mystery. A bunch of people on a boat are accused of murder and the detective has to figure out who really did it.”

“Any good?”

“Yeah, it’s really good. I love her novels, they’re always so well written and full of unexpected surprises and twists.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Snow stated. “So, are you ready for this?”

“If he even bothers to pay attention. I don’t know how he is going to react, so be prepared for anything,” the boy warned. Snow nodded and took a deep breath. He was more concerned for Hope than he was for himself – he had to live with his dad (for the time being) and it could be very uncomfortable for him. 

“Hey dad? My friend’s here!” Hope called. As he expected, his dad was busy analyzing papers by battery powered torch. “Dad! My friend’s here!” Hope raised his voice slightly to get his attention.

“Oh! Hi, I’m Bartholomew Estheim,” his dad said, getting up and holding out his hand.

“Snow Villiers. Pleased to see you again, sir,” Snow replied. Bartholomew suddenly recognized the man before him.

“I remember you. You’re one of the l’Cie that came here with my son,” the elder replied. Snow nodded.

“He’s not a l’Cie anymore. Just like I’m not. You can even look at his arm – there’s no brand anymore,” Hope mentioned. Bartholomew and Snow exchanged pleasant small talk; was Snow working, yes. Was his family safe, yes. Where was he living, Bodhum in a small house by the ocean. 

“Well boys, I need to get back to work if you don’t mind,” he tried to excuse himself. 

“Wait, dad. I – We want to talk to you about something,” Hope interrupted. 

“Okay. Everything’s okay, right? No more fighting or l’Cie stuff, right?” Bartholomew verified. 

“No fighting, no l’Cie stuff. But it is important. Can we sit down in the living room?” Hope replied. The three men moved to the living room, Bartholomew in his large easy chair and Hope and Snow next to each other on the couch. Very close to each other. Their arms were touching. Must closer than most men would be comfortable with.

“Okay son, go ahead. What’s going on?” Mr. Estheim inquired. Hope looked nervously at his feet, swallowed, and then began.

“You love me, right dad?” His father nodded, bewildered. “You want me to be happy, right?” Another nod. “So if I told you that I found someone to be happy with, you’d be happy for me, right?”

Bartholomew’s face went askew. He didn’t understand exactly what the question was, since to him, it made no sense to ask those kind of things while requiring a male friend present. “Well of course. But what’s that matter?”

“Well, what if… what if I told you that…” Hope was nervous. He could hardly look up at his dad, not feeling shame, but feeling scared of his reaction. Snow moved his arm behind the boy, reminding him that he was right there with him. “that it wasn’t a girl?”

Bartholomew looked at him long and hard. He let the question simmer in his mind as he processed exactly what his son was saying to him.

“Would you still be okay if I told you it was a boy?” Hope asked, finally getting it out. Mr. Estheim still didn’t respond, but continued to mull over the new information. 

“So you’re telling me that you’re gay, son?” Bartholomew finally asked. Hope very slowly nodded. “You don’t like girls at all, huh?” Hope shook his head that time. Snow could feel him trembling as he spoke. He gave him a tight squeeze to try and calm his nerves. 

“So then what was the deal with that girl, Christie?” his father asked.

“Just like I said. She was just a friend. She was two years older than me, we just hung out together,” Hope explained. Bartholomew processed that for a moment.

“So… did your mom know?” he asked. Hope shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. I mean, I never told her, but she might have known. I didn’t even know for sure until recently.” His eyes shifted all around, trying not to look at him. 

“And just who is this boy you’ve taken a liking to?” he asked. It was impossible to tell by his tone exactly where his opinion was leaning. Hope nervously turned to Snow, and looked up at him. It clicked in his dad’s head right that moment.

“Him? You want to be with him!?” Bartholomew raised his voice. “How old is he!?”

“I’m twenty-one sir,” Snow answered. 

“Oh no! That is way too old for you, boy or girl!”” his father bellowed.

“Dad, he’s not too old!” Hope protested. 

“He’s seven years older than you! Seven years! You haven’t even finished school yet, young man!” Bartholomew went on. 

“Mr. Estheim, please, I-“ Snow started.

“I don’t want to hear from you, mister. You know damn well he’s too young for you and you still have the nerve to come here trying to claim him as your own!”

“Mr. Estheim, listen, please,” Snow tried again. Bartholomew paused, waiting for him to continue. “I’m not claiming him. I don’t want to own him or control him or anything like that!”

“Good, because you aren’t going to,” Bartholomew barked back. “You realize that technically, according to the law, you’re molesting a child!”

“He is not molesting me!” Hope shouted, standing up. “He hasn’t laid a hand on me that wasn’t wanted! You’re being irrational!”

“Don’t tell me I’m being irrational young man, I’m your father and I’m looking out for your well being. I can deal with you being a homosexual but I will not tolerate a twenty one year old man to take advantage of my fourteen year old son!”

“Please, sir, I am not trying to take advantage of him! I don’t want that, I swear to you,” Snow argued, his temper starting to rise. 

“This discussion is over. You’re never to contact my son again, you hear me? You stay away from him. There isn’t some greater mission for you anymore, there’s no reason to keep in touch. As far as you’re concerned, he is a forgotten memory!” Bartholomew ordered Snow harshly. “And as for you, get to your room! You’re grounded, so don’t get any ideas about going out, and surely don’t think you’re going to talk to him!”

“Dad, stop it! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Hope pleaded. “He isn’t a bad guy! He loves me and I love him!”

“I said go to your room, now! This discussion is done!” his dad bellowed again. Hope had tears in his eyes. He looked to Snow for backup, but Snow shook his head and slumped his shoulders. 

“I can’t go against your dad, Hope. I want you to stay here, out of trouble,” Snow said. He turned to Hope’s dad and made a last request. “Can I at least give him a hug before I go?” Bartholomew nodded in a huff, and watched with cold eyes as Snow wrapped his arms around his son and held him tight. 

“Don’t worry, this isn’t over. Just stay out of trouble until I get in touch with you,” Snow whispered in his ear. “I love you.” Hope whispered the sentiment back to him as his father demanded Snow get out.

“You’re lucky I don’t call the corps for child molestation! Consider it a thanks for saving Cocoon! Now get out!” Bartholomew howled. Snow hung his head and went for the exit, gently shutting the door behind him.

Hope was standing in his bedroom doorway. “How could you treat him like that!?” he cried.

“Trust me, it’s for your own good. You stay around him and you’ll fail out of school, never get any kind of internship anywhere and end up on the streets and I won’t have it. My son is better than that!” 

Hope shook his head and slammed his door shut, sobbing. 

“I’m sorry, son,” Bartholomew whispered after him, tears in his own eyes. He returned to his office, turned on the lamp, and sat in his chair. He was breathing erratically, his temper flared and his head hurting. He tried to return to his work but he couldn’t concentrate. He finally gave up, put his head in his hands, and bawled. 

*****

Things were tense in the Estheim home for the next couple of weeks. Hope refused to speak to his father in any capacity – ignoring his greetings, acting as if he didn’t exist. He spent his days sitting outside under the tree, reading novels on his digital reader. Within a week he had devoured Murder on the Vestige Express, And Then They Were Gone, and The Mysterious Affair at Gapra. It was the one thing he had to do that didn’t require electric power or leaving the house. 

His dad, normally wrapped up in his work, was bothered immensely by his son’s bitterness toward him. He knew he was just trying to keep him safe, keep him out of trouble and away from bad influences, but it made it a lot harder on him when he didn’t have his wife to talk to, and his son was hating him at the time. Their relationship had always been strained, and he regretted it, but this event was most likely to destroy any bond they may have had. Bartholomew spent his workdays struggling to focus, his nights tossing and turning. Every attempt to talk to Hope failed – the boy just walked away or pretended he wasn’t there. He brought him a hot sandwich one afternoon, but he simply let it sit on the table and go cold. 

*****

Two and a half weeks after the drama at the Estheim house, Bartholomew got an unexpected call.

“Mr. Estheim, please don’t hang up,” Snow started off. “I would like to talk with you, man to man, if you can spare a few minutes. I’m begging you.”

Bartholomew was silent. What could that man possibly want with him? He sighed and agreed to talk to him, but in public, not at home. He didn’t want Hope around at the time nor did he even want him to see Snow was there at all. He had taken the boy’s comm link when he grounded him, so he could only hope that he hadn’t found some other way to keep in touch. 

“I’m going to the office for a little bit. Be back by nightfall,” Bartholomew announced to deaf ears. Hope didn’t even acknowledge that he heard him. His shoulders slumped and his heart fell for the millionth time. “Well, I’ll see you when I get back. Be good, son.”

Bartholomew took the walk to the shopping district, which thankfully wasn’t more than a fifteen minute travel. He saw Snow sitting on a bench across from one of the shops. Upon seeing Mr. Estheim, the younger man stood up. He held out his hand and greeted him.

“Thank you for seeing me, sir. I know you’re very busy so I will try and keep it short,” Snow said. Bartholomew just looked at him blankly. Snow was visibly nervous, but trying to remain calm. In his head he just wanted to get down on his knees and beg the man to let him see Hope, but he knew that was fruitless.

“First of all, I want to apologize, for the way things went last time we saw each other,” Snow said. Bartholomew at least nodded to that. “I wanted to talk to you about Hope, though, alone. I don’t want him getting upset if this doesn’t end the way he wants it to.”

“Go on,” Mr. Estheim stated, his face quizzical. 

“I want you to know, that I do love your son. It’s not a perverse infatuation or anything like that, I swear to you on my life. It is a serious love for him,” Snow explained. Bartholomew nodded again, cueing him to continue. “Somewhere on that journey as l’Cie, we fell in love with each other. Neither one of us can explain it. I never before considered that I might have these type of feelings.”

“If I recall correctly, didn’t you have a girlfriend at the time?”

“Yes sir, a fiancé.”

“What happened to her? You decide to just leave her for a boy?”

“No, sir. Like I said, we didn’t understand our feelings for each other at first. I came to terms with the fact that my feelings for Serah were different than my feelings for Hope. It was a huge struggle inside me. It wasn’t easy.”

“Where is she now?” Bartholomew asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s… in crystal stasis, in the pillar. This may sound… well, hard to believe, but she and two of our friends sacrificed themselves to create that pillar. Before she did that, she told me she accepted the way things were, and that she was supportive that it work out,” Snow continued.

“So you’re telling me that the girl you were to wed was a l’Cie, she was okay with being left for a kid, and she still helped save the world?”

“Yes, sir. It’s the truth. Even Lightning could attest to it, and you can trust that her response was similar to yours at first – Serah is her sister. The thing is, she realized, just as I did, that Hope wasn’t just a fourteen year old kid. Over the time he was a l’Cie, he had grown and matured so much. I didn’t see him as a fourteen year old kid. I saw him as a strong man.”

“Go on,” Bartholomew stated. 

“I know… your relationship is strained. I don’t want to make it worse. But please understand, this isn’t a perversion, a game, or anything like that. I want to be with him, and he wants to be with me.”

“I see. Have you spoken with him since you left?”

“No sir. His comm line was shut off, I assume by you. I didn’t bother to send anything by post or try to sneak around. That wasn’t the right way,” Snow answered. 

“I admire your respect there,” Bartholomew stated. “It gives me confidence.”

“Confidence, sir?” Snow asked, confused.

“Yes,” Bartholomew answered. He didn’t say anything else, but just looked around a moment before speaking. “Do you realize what it’s been like since you left?” Snow shook his head. “It’s been miserable. He won’t talk to me. He won’t even look at me. He acts like I don’t exist. He spends all his time reading under the shade tree or alone in his room. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.”

“I’m sorry.” Mr. Estheim waved his hand, signaling Snow to be quiet.

“Look, Snow. It isn’t your sexuality that I have an issue with. It’s your age. You’re seven years older than he is. I’m just looking out for him. He’s all I have left,” Hope’s dad explained. “He’s all I have left, but the way things are now, I’ve lost him. He won’t even acknowledge that I exist. I don’t want that.”

“I’m-“

Bartholomew waved him away again. “I meant it when I said I want him happy. Apparently, it’s you that makes him happy. If I really care about him, I’ll accept that.” Snow started to feel slightly better, but as the conversation wasn’t over yet, he didn’t count his chocobos before they hatched. “I know what he wants, Mr. Villiers. I’m not a stupid man. A little brash perhaps, but not stupid. “

“No, of course not, I didn’t think so at all,” Snow said, wondering where he was going.

“He wants to live with you.” Snow nodded slowly, hoping that Mr. Estheim was about to say something good. “I’m not an unreasonable man, Snow. Like I said before, I love my son very much, and I only want to protect him. But I want him to be happy as well.”

Bartholomew took Snow’s gaze and locked eyes with him, the seriousness of his next few statements boring into him. “I will… allow him to stay with you. But I have conditions that you both must agree to, for his own good, and for my peace of mind. Is that clear? You both must agree to abide by them.”

“Yes sir. I understand. And thank you,” Snow let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “What are the conditions?”

*****

Hope lay on his bed, reading on his digital reader, the soft glow of the device lighting up his tear streaked cheeks. He had been crying again, wanting desperately to talk to Snow, just to hear his voice. His eyes were getting sore and he was contemplating a nap when he heard his father come home.

“Hope? Son? I’m home.” Hope rolled his eyes and ignored him. He didn’t care, he had nothing to say to his dad. “Hope?” The boy was startled when he heard the sharp knock on his bedroom door. His dad never knocked that hard. “Son, I- please let me in. I want to talk to you about something.”

For all Bartholomew knew, Hope wasn’t even in his room, he was so silent. He called his name one more time, again with no answer. Hope was starting to get annoyed. His father just wasn’t taking the hint. He had nothing to say that Hope wanted to hear, and there was nothing he wanted to talk about.

Hope sighed in frustration and then heard his door open. He was suddenly feeling violated by the intrusion, it being commonplace that people wait for permission to enter someone’s private room. His dad must have been trying to rouse a reaction out of him. He was trembling out of anger but he talked himself into a calm state, not wanting his father to know he was even noticing his entrance.

Hope felt a strong hand on his arm, pulling him onto his back. His first inclination was to struggle and lash out, but he immediately recognized the face above him and the scent of cologne that wafted into the air.

“Snow?” he asked hesitantly. He quickly sat up and looked, making sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. “Snow!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around the man. “I missed you so much! How did you even get in the door? My dad’s home! He’s going to be furious!” 

Snow smiled. “He let me in.” Hope was so taken aback by the answer that he fell back on his haunches. 

“No, really. He let me in. We had a nice, long talk in the park near the shopping district.”

“So what, are you allowed a visit every so often now or something?”

“No,” came Snow’s answer. Hope’s face fell. “It’s much more serious than that.”

“Snow, what’s going on?”

His boyfriend knelt down on his knee next to the bed and looked up at his younger lover. “Hope, we talked about… us. You and me. And, we came to an understanding. An agreement.”

“An agreement? What kind of agreement?” Hope asked suspiciously.

“Well, he will allow you go live with me, but there are conditions we both have to agree to, or else you can’t stay.”

“Conditions? Like what?”

“He wrote them down on a piece of paper. The first condition is that you stay enrolled in school, and keep your grades up. He wants to see your report cards and as long as you stay above average, you’re okay,” Snow explained.

“Okay, I can handle that. I make good grades anyway.”

“Along with that, no trouble at school, either. Oh, and you have to graduate”

“I figured that. I want to finish anyway. I can’t get a good job if I don’t,” Hope agreed. “What else?”

“He wants to have dinner with us once a week. We can pick the day, but we have to meet up together. He promised he would make time to do that,” Snow stated. “He said if you’re ever not happy with me, for any reason, that you should come home, no questions asked.”

“He really said he would make time for dinner every week?” Hope was skeptical. His father never made time for things other than work. 

“Yes. And he gave me a special condition, too. Just me.”

“Just you? What’s that?”

“He made me promise not to break your heart. Not to hurt you, make you sad. Protect you and keep you safe and happy.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him I could do all of that. And I can. I don’t think you really believe it, Hope, but your dad loves you. You’re his only son. The only family he really has left. He doesn’t want to lose you, and you know what he told me? He told me he can’t bear the way things are right now. It kills him every time you ignore him, every time you act like he doesn’t exist,” Snow said, holding Hope’s hand in his. 

“Why doesn’t he say it to me, then? Why did he say it to you?” Hope asked. 

“He’s afraid. He doesn’t know how to show his affection to you because your relationship is so strained. Hope, he told me a lot while we talked. I think you need to give him another chance. He didn’t ask me to say that. In fact, he asked that I not tell you anything about that part of the conversation, but I think you need to know. I think he just doesn’t know how to even start trying to develop something with you.”

“So what are you saying?”

“Hope, please, for me, consider giving him a chance to make things right. I didn’t know my parents. I was an orphan. I would kill to have had parents who cared about me as a kid. It’s sad to see you throw away the chance to have a relationship with your dad. I think he wants to have a relationship with you. Why do you think he’s giving us this option?”

Hope thought about that for a few minutes. Snow had a valid point. If his dad didn’t care, he wouldn’t bother to make a compromise. It hadn’t occurred to him how selfish he was being as well – he had a father who wanted to make up for his neglect, when Snow never had a parent at all. He grew up in orphanages and was on his own at an early age. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made to him. He closed his eyes and squeezed them shut tight, holding back the tears.

“Do you want to come live with me? With those conditions?” Snow asked. 

“Of course I do. I swear I want to,” Hope replied, struggling to stay strong. “Do you want me to? Do you really want me to live with you?”

“Yes! I want to wake up next to you every morning, Hope. I want us to be a couple. A two man family. Here’s a chance for us, I am willing to take it,” Snow answered. 

“Then I accept. I can handle those rules. And Snow? I promise I’ll try to… to give my dad another chance.” Hope gave up trying to hold in his tears, he opened his eyes and let them roll down his cheeks. He was so happy at that moment that nothing could ruin it.

Bartholomew knocked on the door, causing both of them to turn around. “May I come in?” Hope nodded and sniffled. “So did Snow tell you about our talk?”

“Yeah. I want to move in with him, dad,” Hope replied.

“He told you what I asked of you, right?”

“Yeah. I promise to keep up with school. I want to graduate and get a good job. I want to be happy, with Snow.”

“Then you have my permission, son. You can move in when you’re ready to. It’s more important to me for you to be happy than to keep you here miserable without your…. Boyfriend.” He stumbled on the last word, not entirely sure if that was the correct term and still getting used to the idea in the first place.

“Thanks, dad. Thank you a lot,” Hope said, getting up and hugging him for the first time in weeks. Bartholomew hugged his son back, holding back his own tears of joy. 

“Hope, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I never gave you the attention you deserved. I regret missing your competitions, missing vacations, all of it. If I could do it over, I would do it right. But that’s in the past, so I want to try and do what I can now. I want you to know that you can come to me about anything from now on. I’ll set aside whatever I’m doing to listen to you. I really want to try and make up for these past years.” 

“Thank you, dad. Really. I think this is a good start,” Hope responded. Bartholomew was satisfied with that for the time being, hoping that he could stay true to that promise, and hoping that his son would let him. 

“Why don’t you pack on overnight bag and go with Snow tonight? You can decide when you want to move in when you’re ready, but for now, go spend some time with him.” Hopes eyes lit up and he quickly grabbed his knapsack and started rifling through his dresser. Packing a bag by torchlight wasn’t easy, but he got his essentials. 

Snow and Hope stood at the front door, preparing to leave. Hope hugged his father one more time, and then jaunted outside, waiting for his escort. Snow looked at Bartholomew as he went out the door.

“Thank you, Mr. Estheim. I won’t disappoint you, or him,” Snow said with a smile. The two men shook hands – an acknowledgement of respect – and Bartholomew watched as his son and Snow turned the corner to head toward the shopping district to start their short journey to Bodhum.


	2. Moving In

A week after Bartholomew Estheim agreed to let his son move in with his boyfriend, Snow Villiers, the trio began moving Hope’s things into Snow’s home. Power had been restored to some areas of Cocoon – mostly residences in Palumpolum and Bodhum. Businesses were still without power, but with the state of things, commerce was the least of anyone’s worries. The lack of proper government was the primary concern. 

“We lucked out with the power coming back this week. It makes this move a little easier,” Snow said, lifting up another heavy box of clothing. “What’s in here, bricks?”

“No, shoes and jackets,” Hope answered with a grin. He had chosen to carry a smaller box containing socks and boxer shorts. “I gave you the heavy stuff tough guy.”

“Just remember, if I break my back, no more-“ Snow stopped himself just in time as Mr. Estheim rounded the corner. Hope and Snow shared a short chuckle at the close call and went back to moving boxes. 

“Are you taking any of your furniture with you?” he asked his son. Hope thought a moment. 

“No, I don’t think I need it, do I?” he asked, looking at Snow for approval. 

“Not unless you want to bring stuff. I have plenty of room where Serah used to have her things. Dresser space, closet space, uhh sleeping arrangements.” Snow was wondering if Bartholomew was living under the fantasy that they were not sharing a bed and Hope was in fact sleeping on the couch, just to not have to think about his son and another man under the same covers.

“Too bad nobody ever visits, it looks like now I have a guest room,” Bartholomew stated glumly. He tried not to think about the fact that he was by himself again, with only coworkers to talk to; which he wouldn’t even see until power was fully restored to the business district. 

“Don’t worry dad, you’ll see us every week, right? You’ll be busy working, you won’t have time to be lonely,” Hope offered, trying to sound positive. His dad gave him a weak smile. 

“I know, son. It’s just going to take some getting used to,” his dad replied. “Hey, is that box going too?” he asked, pointing to a large box on the bed.

“Oh yes, you better believe it! That has all my drawing stuff in it, and some other things.”

“You two going to be okay getting all this stuff into your house by yourselves?” Bartholomew asked. 

“Sure thing, sir. I have friends in Bodhum if we need help,” Snow answered. They finished loading up the vehicle they had borrowed from Gadot and got ready to say goodbye. Snow shook the man’s hand and thanked him again for his help, and to his surprise Hope actually hugged his dad and told him he loved him. Snow could see the look of sheer joy in the elder’s face when he heard those words. He response in kind and waved as they drove off.

*****

“Welcome home, kiddo,” Snow announced as he opened the door for his boyfriend. Hope smiled widely as if he had just arrived at an amusement park for the first time. 

“Where do you want me to put my stuff?” the cheerful youth inquired.

“Set it in the bedroom, then you can unpack when you want to,” Snow said. He turned around and went back to the truck to start bringing in boxes. There weren’t that many – he mostly had clothes and toiletries, his drawing materials, and school supplies. 

He had spent the night several times in the past two weeks, but somehow knowing that it was his home as well made it so much better. 

“There’s empty space you can use in the dresser, room to hang up stuff in the closet, and if you need more space, we can figure something out.”

“This will be fine I think,” Hope said, folding his pants and sticking them in a drawer. He then opened the closet to see how much room he had (plenty) when he spotted Snow’s stash of shoes. He had never really paid much attention before, but his shoes were huge. He examined the threading on the inside of one – size thirteen. He thought about the old saying about guys with big feet and giggled to himself at just how true that was. 

Snow walked in, wondering what all the laughing was about. “Oh just your shoe size. I didn’t realize it was a thirteen.”

“You know what they say…”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m laughing. Because it’s true.” Hope giggled again and went back to unpacking and putting things in his closet. The pair had not actually had intercourse since the night in Oerba. Sure, they had fooled around a little, but truth be told, Hope was intimidated by Snow’s member. The only reason he had managed to accommodate it before was because of the situation – the eroticism, the intensity of the emotions, his head swimming. They were so wrapped up ‘in the moment’ that it was impossible to feel anything but pleasure. Once the reality had hit and he had seen exactly what he had taken, it made him nervous. He’d have to learn how to relax enough to handle it, which was something they would have much more time to work on while living together.

“What do you wanna do for dinner?” Snow asked, bringing in the last box and setting it on the table. 

“I don’t know. Nothing’s open since power is rare right now. I guess if you have anything here we can make something,” Hope suggested. He opened the lid of the box on the bed to reveal drawing tools of various sorts. “Where can I put this?”

“Put it on top of the dresser for now. I’ll figure out a better place later. You can use the kitchen table if you want to work,” Snow answered. “There is one restaurant that’s open. It’s outdoors and they just cook on an open pit like a barbeque, but they’re pretty good. In other words, my fridge is kind of bare.”

Hope laughed. “That sounds fine then. We can pick up groceries later. It’s not good to eat out all the time. I want to keep you around for a while.”

“You’re not going to get all Mr. Health Food on me are you?”

“No, but a home cooked meal is better for you. Besides, I don’t have money to pay rent, it’s something I can do to contribute,” Hope stated. 

“Okay, I can accept that then,” Snow smiled. 

After everything was put away, Hope plopped back on the bed, tired from moving. He started to doze off when he felt someone tickling his sides.

“Come on, don’t fall asleep yet! Let’s go eat and then when you’re all fat and stuffed you can sleep all night long if you want to, but It’s your first night in your new home, you can’t zonk out that soon. We have to do something special!”

“Like what? We can’t go see a movie, broadcast stations aren’t up except for the news,” Hope replied, counting them off on his fingers one by one.

“Well, we can go to dinner first. Then we can come home, maybe go walk the beach a little, then come back and watch a recorded movie on the video screen. Make some popcorn on the stove, sit in our jammies, like a real slumber party!” Snow said the last part in a high pitched voice, mocking the typical girly rituals of sleepovers. 

“We don’t wear pajamas, you cornball.”

“Oh yeah. We’ll just have the popcorn and cuddle, how about that?”

“That sounds better. Good thing I brought my digital movie collection; yours is kind of… lacking,” Hope grinned. “All you have is cheesy action flicks and mindless comedies. I want to watch a mystery for once.”

“Okay, okay. Go shower and changed, we’ll go out to eat first. I hope you’re hungry,” Snow said, already knowing the answer.

“Famished,” Hope replied. He went into their bedroom and rummaged through his clothes until he found an outfit he wanted to wear – dark blue shorts, a black sleeveless t-shirt, and a navy bandanna around his neck. He set the clothes on the bedside and stripped down, walking into the bathroom. It felt nice not having to worry about privacy anymore. 

He set a towel on the floor and turned on the water in the shower. He was so glad the power was back for the heat pumps that warmed the water. Cold showers were not fun at all. When the temperature was satisfactory, he stepped into the shower and slid the door closed, locking in the steam with him. 

Hope started to wash his hair, closing his eyes to keep out the soap. He didn’t hear the door slide open again over the hum of water over his ears, but he felt the large body sneaking up behind him, pressing against his backside. Large hands gently moved his aside and took over massaging his head, working the soap in and out. It felt so soothing, he could have fallen asleep standing up. After his head was rinsed under the stream of water, he attempted to turn around but strong hands held him tightly in place. He felt large palms running over his chest, across his stomach and further down. He began to quietly moan as wet hands slid down past his navel, over his crotch, and massaging his inner thighs where his legs met his groin. 

Snow’s large penis was hardening, pressing up against the boy’s backside. He moved his hands from his groin to his chest, massaging over and over, feeling the muscles underneath. Hope was only fourteen, so he didn’t have the muscle development that Snow did, he was relatively scrawny, but Snow loved his slim boyfriend who he knew was developing into a strong young man. 

Snow began gyrating his hips slightly, bending at the knees to position his throbbing erection between Hope’s cheeks. The water and soap was a wonderful lubricant. His dick easily sliding up and down. “Are you ready for it?” he whispered into Hope’s ear. Hope quickly spun around, a nervous look on his face.

“Please, not yet! I can’t,” he said quickly. “I’m not ready. It’s too big.” Snow was a little puzzled. 

“You took it before, very well I might add,” Snow said. He wasn’t upset, just confused.

“I… it was the moment. I’m not ready for it again. I need time, please understand,” Hope said, looking up at Snow with pleading eyes. 

“I’m not upset! It’s fine, we’ll do something else for now. We’ll explore that again when you’re ready for it,” Snow consoled. He smiled mischieviously, then turned the boy back around, returning to the same position – his hard cock snuggled between the globes of Hope’s cheeks, sliding up and down between them and he ran his hands all over the younger man.

“I’ll never hurt you, I’ll only make you feel good,” Snow whispered into Hope’s ear. The boy moaned an acknowledgement, and then let out a deep sigh as he felt his own erection being engulfed in soapy hands. Snow was massaging his dick, using one hand to stroke him, the other to massage his balls. He was nowhere near as big as Snow, which he was a little self conscious about, but the older man showed satisfaction with his member numerous times, trying to show the boy just how satisfied he was with the less gargantuan equipment. 

Snow felt himself getting closer and closer to orgasm as his dick slid up and down, his knees pushing him up and then lower, the foreskin sliding back to allow the sensitive head to rub against the cheeks, sliding gently over the small entrance he was anxious to once again penetrate. When he could stand it no more, his body shuddered, waves of pleasure shooting from crotch to limbs as he ejaculated a thick, creamy load of cum between them. He held on to his boyfriend, continuing to stroke him, eliciting heavy breaths from him. When he knew the younger could no longer take it, he sped up his strokes until he was milking the seed from his adolescent balls and onto the shower wall. 

Hope turned around and hugged Snow, then stood on his toes to kiss him. Snow held on to him by the waist to steady him and the pair began to wrestle their tongues with each other. Hope’s knees were a little weak from the orgasm, but Snow was cuddling him so close, he didn’t really even need to stand on his own. After a few minutes of cuddling in the steamy hot water, they finally returned to washing up, spraying the sticky cum off of the wall as well. 

When they were done, they got out, dried off and dressed, then went on to dinner, then spent the rest of the night cuddling next to each other watching a movie, with popcorn of course, and then falling asleep next to each other in bed, in the home that was no longer just Snow Villiers’ residence, but the home of Snow Villiers and Hope Estheim.


	3. Evaluations

It wasn’t until Hope had moved in with Snow that people began to notice and recognize that the young man and teenager living in apartment 112 of Bodhum Lowrise were not just friends, but an actual couple. It was not too common on Cocoon for two men or two women to be romantically involved, but it was even less common for a teenager and an adult to be together. 

Snow had been living in Bodhum Bungalows since he was eighteen, alone at first and then with his live-in girlfriend, Serah. The neighbors all liked the couple, Snow helping with odd jobs when he could, Serah always making treats for the kids and working out in her garden. They were friendly – stopping to say ‘Hello’ when passing in the streets, always doing something together.

But then the young woman disappeared. Nobody saw either one of them for over a week, nobody coming home until after the Great Fall. Snow arrived home one day, alone. He didn’t seem the same – sullen, quiet, shut in. Serah was nowhere to be seen. Nobody had seen her leave the bungalow, nor had anyone seen someone leave with her things. It was as if she just disappeared, never to have been there at all. Nobody asked Snow about her – they rarely saw him anymore and if they did, how to broach the subject?

Then one day, a teenaged boy showed up at his door. Snow obviously knew him, his demeanor changing to one of delight and excitement. He made regular appearances at Snow’s house, often with a knapsack and staying overnight. Snow nor Serah were old enough to have a teenaged son, so nobody knew who the boy was or where he came from, or why he was spending so much time at Snow’s and overnight no less. On occasion they could be seen leaving together and then coming back later in the evening – presumably to some form of entertainment – which was limited with the lack of power. 

The first time anyone truly got suspicious of their relationship was a middle aged woman named Ming, who lived in the next bungalow over. She was washing dishes in the kitchen, looking out at the ocean and the sunset when she noticed Snow and his young friend down on the beach. They were sitting right next to each other, leaning close, and holding hands. It was a romantic scene, but something she hadn’t expected to see. She said nothing to anyone at first, but a few days later they were out there again, watching the sunset, but instead of sitting, they were laying on their backs, hand in hand, staring at the dimming twilight. 

It wasn’t until the third time she saw them enjoying the sunset that she decided in her head that indeed Mr. Villiers had something going on with his young friend. Her new hobby suddenly became voyeurism – looking out of her kitchen window every evening, waiting to see if the pair were out there on the beach. She then began to watch Snow’s bungalow; observing when his friend came and went, how long he was there, if he had his knapsack or not, and looking for any hint she could that might tell her what was going on in the Villiers’ residence. She still said nothing to her husband or four year old son, not letting on that she was spying on the neighbor. 

Ming finally got her chance at absolution when one day, her son, Jon, left the yard and went wandering down to the beach by himself. She hadn’t realized it at first, thinking Jon was still in the living room playing with his toys. When she couldn’t find him, and instead discovered an unlocked back door, she ran out, frantic. Fortunately for her, she found him on the beach, safe and sound, accompanied by the teenaged boy. He was down on one knee, talking to Jon. She ran up to them, tears running down her cheeks. She cheered in excitement when she caught up to them, picking up her boy and hugging him tight. She then turned to the teenager.

“Thank you!” she sobbed. “Thank you so much. I didn’t realize the back door- I was so frantic- oh I am so glad you were here to keep him from running into the water!”

“Oh, it’s not a problem at all, ma’am. I was putting the laundry away and looked out the window and saw him wandering down alone, so I went to investigate,” the boy explained. 

“Well, thank you again,” she said. After a moment it dawned on her that it was a perfect time to do a little more snooping. “So, what’s your name? I’m Ming, and this little escape artist is Jon.”

“My name is Hope,” he replied with a smile. “Jon was just telling me about his pet turtle.”

“Oh, Hope. What a lovely name. Do you live with Mr. Villiers?” Ming inquired.

“Oh no, I don’t live here. Not yet anyway,” he answered, looking down at his feet. 

“Are you family?” Ming asked. Hope shook his head.

“No, not yet,” he said. Ming gave him an odd look and asked if they were friends. “Yes, well more than friends.”

“More than friends?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. He stared down at his feet again, not sure what to say. “Is he your boyfriend?”

“Y-yes,” he replied. 

“You look kind of young to be over eighteen,” she commented, looking him over.

“I’m not. I’m uh, I’m fourteen,” he admitted. Ming wasn’t particularly surprised – it was just her sly way of finding out what she wanted to know. 

“You said he was your boyfriend? Isn’t he in his twenties?”

“Yes, ma’am. He’s twenty one,” he replied. Hope could see her doing the math in her head. 

“Wow, seven years apart, huh? That’s a big gap,” she said, trying not to sound judgmental. 

“Mhmm, yes it is,” he said. She then went on to ask how they met. He decided it best not to give her full details and instead just explained that they met through a mutual friend, and bonded while on a camping trip with their friends. She didn’t need to know that the mutual ‘friend’ was a fal’Cie named Anima, who was more foe than friend, and their camping trip was actually a journey across Cocoon and Pulse that was more of an adventure than a good time. 

“I see, well, have your parents met him?”

“My mom passed away, but she met him right before that. My dad is still getting used to him, but he likes him okay,” Hope answered. 

“That’s good. Well, I really need to get back in the house, I have some things to get done, but you and Snow are more than welcome to stop by sometime,” Ming said with a smile. She was satisfied for the moment with her little insight on the goings on of the neighbors. 

About a month or so later, Ming watched through her window as they brought in a few small boxes and bags – apparently the boy was moving in. Although she was nosy, Ming was not a blabbermouth, and kept to herself the little bit of information she did have. It didn’t take long for the other neighbors to begin their gossip. 

“Did you see that young boy who moved in with the Villiers man?” a woman asked her friend as they sipped tea. The other woman replied that indeed she hadn’t, and the first decided to fill her in. “Well, just around the time that Serah girl… disappeared, the kid showed up and started hanging around. Well, just last week he moved in with him! Can you believe that? A kid, moving in with that young man!”

“What’s so strange about that? Maybe he’s family, or a friend,” the second woman suggested. The first was quick to knock away that idea.

“Nope! He isn’t family, you know what he is? That man’s… boyfriend.” The second woman gasped, almost dripping her tea. “He can’t be any older than thirteen or fourteen and here he is, being naughty with a grown man!”

“Are you sure? That sounds so scandalous!”

“Yes, I am sure! I saw them holding hands and being sweet on each other down at the beach watching the sunset. They’re lovers!” the first woman exclaimed. The second woman shrugged it off.

“The world is getting more progressive now you know, and I bet it will only increase. Oh well, I don’t care if they’re homosexuals,” the second woman replied. 

“That’s not what I’m talking about! It’s scandalous! A teenager and a young man! He’s barely in the middle of puberty I bet!”

And so the gossip and comments began. 

Nobody ever said anything directly to either one of them, but Snow noticed people paying closer attention to them, as if they were watching and waiting for something to happen so they could butt in. He also heard random remarks when they were out in public together – word travelled fast in Bodhum. It was small, nothing stayed secret for long. 

Finally one man decided to say something directly to Hope while he was waiting for the public transport on his way back from classes.

“You’re that kid living with the Villiers man, aren’t you?” the man asked. Hope smiled and nodded, not caring for the fact he was being called a kid, but not wanting to make a big deal out of it either. “How old are you? Fourteen right? That’s what I hear,” the man went on.

“Yes, sir. I’m fourteen. Fifteen in another two months,” Hope replied, not sure where he was going. 

“That’s ridiculous. He’s a grown man! He has no business toying around with a kid your age!” the man exploded. He went on and on, berating Hope with his opinions about Snow and his statutory affair, his adultery toward Serah, and so on. Hope didn’t have the slightest clue who the man was, let alone what concern it was of his. His first inclination was to yell at him, but figured it was not a good idea.

“It’s really none of your business, sir,” he said, putting a sarcastic emphasis on the last word. He then decided to walk to the next station and catch a different transport. When he got home he didn’t say a word to Snow about the incident, until Snow noticed his sullen mood. 

“What’s eating you?” Snow asked during dinner.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Hope replied, poking around at his food with his fork. Snow frowned and watched silently as his boyfriend moped. 

“Are you sure? Something’s bothering you. Talk to me,” Snow pressed. As he got up, he noticed tears slowly sliding down his young, smooth face. “Did someone… say something to you?” He had a feeling it would get around to him eventually, the comments, and questions. “Someone did say something! What was it!?” Snow demanded.

“Some guy, I didn’t even know who he was. He asked if we were together, then he started shouting at me that it was sick and wrong what we were doing, that you were way too old for me and that it was some sick molestation thing and that he should report you to the Guardian Corps. It was humiliating the way he was yelling at me.” Snow hugged him tight.

“If I find out who this jerk is, he is going to be sorry he ever said anything to you,” Snow vowed in a gruff voice. 

“I know who it is, now. I saw Ming on my way home. I told her about it and she knew exactly who it was. Apparently this guy is always nosing around in people’s business like that,” he told him. Snow demanded the name out of him, and he knew exactly who the man was. He was a snooty businessman named Henry Hunter. He was famous for getting in everyone else’s business.

The next day, Snow decided to go have a word with Mr. Hunter. His secretary asked Snow to wait, and after a half hour, the man agreed to see him. 

“What can I do for you, Mr. Villiers?”

“First of all, you can stay away from my boyfriend. He told me what you said to him, Henry,” Snow said firmly, forcing himself to remain calm. 

“Oh yes, the kid. Of course.”

“He isn’t a kid, you jackass. He’s a mature young man, which is more than I can say for you. He knows when to mind his own business; a skill you have not apparently mastered.” Henry snickered and rolled his eyes.

“Mr. Villiers, as I told your consort, you are a pedophile and should be arrested. A grown man forming a physical relationship with a kid is a sick individual and needs professional help,” Henry replied snootily. 

“Excuse me? What did you just let come out of your bigoted mouth?” Snow hissed, standing up and leaning over the man’s desk. 

“I said that you are a pedophile. Going after a boy who isn’t even old enough to ejaculate, let alone make decisions for himself! If you continue to challenge me here, I will see to it you are arrested!” Henry shouted back, standing up. Snow saw nothing but red rage in front of him. 

“I am not a pedophile! There is nothing forcing him to do anything! You don’t know the situation, so you need to stop spreading your lies and mind your own fucking business you bigoted bastard!” Snow bellowed. Henry’s face went rigid, fear crawling across his skin. Snow was a very imposing man, particularly when agitated. Perhaps it was one time that he should mind his own business and leave wel enough alone.

“Leave my office right now, Mr Villiers!” he shouted back. “You go have your lecherous affair and hope that nobody reports you to the Corps. I’ll let it go and allow you to be your own undoing, but if you so much as set foot within twenty feet of me again, I’ll have you thrown in prison so fast your head will spin.”

“You just leave us alone, got it? We don’t get in your affairs, you don’t get in mine, got it? What we do is none of your concern.” With that final comment, Snow turned to leave, his hand on the door handle. He turned, however, to make one final remark. “Oh, and Hank? He has no problem whatsoever with ejaculating, I can guarantee you that.” With a smug grin, Snow left the office, slamming the door behind him. He bid the secretary a good afternoon – afterall, she had nothing to do with it and had no reason to bear his wrath. 

That evening over dinner, Snow reported that Henry Hunter wouldn’t be bothering them anymore. When Hope asked what happened, Snow simply replied that they had a ‘little talk’ and came to an agreement. Hope accepted the answer, even though he knew there was far more to it. 

“You know that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, right? I mean, if you want to leave me, you have every right. I can’t force you to do anything, or feel anything,” Snow said to him later when they were watching an evening show. 

“I know. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. I’m happy here,” the teenager replied. “Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I don’t have older feelings.” The two hugged tightly, and then Hope fell asleep on the couch, nestled in Snow’s big arms. 

A couple of weeks later, Hope turned fifteen, and the commentary stopped thanks to Henry Hunter and his spreading of threats and fearful gossip. Snow occasionally heard something, but as long as his young boyfriend didn’t have to hear it, he could handle it.


End file.
